Reclosable carton



United States Patent O M U.S. Cl. 229-32 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reclosable package structure particularly useful in the paper industry or in any industry where packages of material pass from a manufacturer to a distributor and wherein the distributor inserts the labels or identifying indicia in the package before final sale.

This invention is concerned with a package structure of the type described in Ser. No. 392,799, filed Aug. 28, 1964, now U.S. Pat. 3,436,893, issued Apr. 8, 1969, from which the application was divided.

Since the present invention is conveniently described in terms of its use in the paper industry, it will be so treated, it being understood that its practical application is much more general and the invention is to be so considered.

Sheeted paper may be shipped in two conditions, wrapped or unwrapped within a suitable container. In wrapped form, sheet paper of predetermined sizes and numerical count may be first wrapped in a protective cover and thereafter one or more wrapped packages, hereinafter called wrappers, are placed in a protective carton for delivery. Oftentimes the manufacturer delivers to a distributor, who identifies the product by his own labels attached to the end of the Wrappers. Thus, the distributor may, in many cases, open the packed cartons to gain access to the wrappers and thereafter the cartons must be resealed. Also Sheeted paper may be placed in the` containers unwrapped, in which case it is most desirable that the user, generally the printer, be able to use only a portion of the contents while the remainder is adequately protected by the container.

To date, the cartons in which paper is shipped are usually two-part, i.e., cover and bottom construction, wherein the bottom comprises an open topped tray and the cover is a similar tray inverted with respect to and telescoped cover the sides of the bottom tray. After tilling and closure, the bottom edge of the cover is generally sealed by the liberal application of tape to the side walls or bottom panel of the bottom tray. This is necessary to keep dirt out of the carton and further, to prevent any major eXure or twisting of the complete package and the resulting wrinkling or damage to the product.

Thus, when conventional taped cartons are used and the paper wrappers are to be labeled by a distributor, or when only a portion of the contents are used, it is necessary for the intermediate party or user to cut apart the bottom tray and the top at the taped seams therebetween, whereby the cover may be completely removed to permit access to the ends of the wrapped product therein. Subsequcntly, the cartons must be reclosed and resealed to protect the contents from damage with the net result that considerable time and trouble is involved and, often where subsequent reshipment is involved the tape covers tape at the top-bottom juncture, resulting in unsightly packages.

Another form of carton structure currently in use utilizes a glue of high shear-low tensile strength characteristics, wherein when the trays are telescoped over one 3,520,466 Patented July 14, 1970 another to form a closed container, the glue adheres the end and side flaps in the usual manner, but upon subjecting the edges of the flaps to tensile pull, the two trays separate to give access to the cartons interior. Again, however, the top or cover tray must be completely removed to give access to the carton interior and contents which often results in loss of the cover tray before the contents are used completely, or alternatively, if the carton is to be resealed, a time consuming retaping job is involved for the distributor.

The present invention, while utilizing a tray top and tray bottom, contemplates a novel end structure for a carton particularly adapted for use in the novel closure system of Pat. 3,436,893 whereby easy initial opening of the carton end is obtained, and wherein when reclosed, the bottom and top are hinged to one another, thus resulting in a package of maximum convenience to the user of the products therein. In its broad concept then, a rst object of the invention is to produce a carton structure and closing system which is more conveniently used than are the prior art structures.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to produce a novel resealable carton.

A further object of this invention is to produce a hinged carton having a reclosable end or side.

Still an additional object of this invention is to produce a container having a novel end or side structure.

These and other objects of the invention may be accomplished by providing for nal telescopic assembly of a bottom and top tray structure including top and bottom base panels, side and end wall panels formed integrally therewith, said side wall panels being provided with integral end flaps, at least one end wall panel of each tray being provided with an adhesive wherein these last mentioned panels are adhered to form a hinge structure upon final closure of the receptacle with the top and bottom tray structures in telescopic relation with respect to one another.

Advantageously, at least one pair of side wall aps and at least one tray may also be provided with areas of adhesive on their inner faces to facilitate sealing of said flaps during intermediate use of the receptacle.

Cartons or receptacles as above defined my be closed by the method of forming the respective blanks into tray structures by folding the side wall panels into perpendicular relation to the base panels of each tray, telescoping said side walls with respect to one another, closing one end of the container thus formed with said end walls and said end aps of each tray with at least two of said closure-defining members, said end walls or said flaps in non-adherent surface-to-surface contact.

Having described the in-vention broadly, the following detailed description will illustrate same, reference being [made to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of both a tray bottom blank and a tray top blank of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the method of folding the carton cover tray and bottom tray when the cover is rst positioned over the tray;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the carton structure assembled according to FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a disassembled view illustrating the final assembly of the carton preparatory reclosure;

FIG. 5 is a modified view of an end structure incorporating a tear strip.

Turing rst to FIGS. l and 2, it will be immediately noted that the bottom and top blanks appear to be conventional folding tray blanks. Such blanks are usually comprised of large bottom and top panels 10 and 20, respectively, end wall panels 6 and 8, and 26 and 28, integrally connected to these panels for folding about conventional score lines generally indicated as 5 from the bottom blank and 25 from the top blank, respectively. Also connected to the top and bottom panels, along score lines 7 and 27, respectively, are side wall panels or members 2 and 4, and 22 and 24. The top side wall panels 2 and 4 also include end flaps 12, 12 and 14, 14 integrally fixed thereto at score lines 9 and 9 and 11, 11', respectively, but same being unconnected to the end wall panels 6 and 8. Similarly, the bottom side wall panels 22 and 24 of the bottom blank also have integrally affixed thereto ap members 34, 34 and 36, 36, respectively, along fold lines 29 and 29 and 31, 31', respectively. These flap members are also unsecured to the respective end wall panels 26 and 28.

It is important to note, however, that contrary to the usual blanks of this type, at least one in this case, the end wall 6 of the bottom tray is provided with adhesive area 16, while the corresponding end wall 26 of the top blank is also provided with a similarly located adhesive area 36, which area is positioned so as to register with adhesive area 16 of the bottom blank when these walls are in telescoped relation, as and for the purposes to `be subsequently described. This adhesive area is coated with an an adhesive having self-adherent properties or heat sensitive properties so that while the coated areas 16 and 36 will adhere to one another, they will not adhere to any other material. In other words, if these adhesive areas are not in registry and in Contact, they will not adhere to any other area of the blank. A self-adhering adhesive of the self-actuating type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,136. Heating sealing plastics or waxes of the heat actuated type are also known in the art.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the critical characteristics and position of the adhesive areas will become apparent. Thus, in FIG. 2, the top tray is shown superposed over the bottom tray with each being partially folded. The small arrows and associated numbers indicate the sequence of the folding operation. First, the side walls 2, 4 and 22, 24 of the trays are folded to their usual position perpendicular to the bottom and top panels 10 and 20. Then, in closing the end of the bottom tray the end wall 6 is folded into its usual position, as indicated by the arrow 1. Subsequently, the end flaps 12 and 12' are folded into a position overlying the previously folded end wall, the latter opening being indicated by the arrows 2 and 3.

With the top tray telescoped over the bottom tray, the top end flaps 34, 34 are first folded inwardly as indicated by the arrows 4 and 5, after which the end wall 26 is folded into superimposed relation with respect to the flaps 34, 34. Thus the two pairs of flaps 34, 34 and 12, 12', are disposed between the end walls 6 and 26 of the top and bottom trays to prevent the adhesive areas 36 and 16, respectively, from coming into adherent contact.

As shown in FIG. 3, one or more tape members 30 and/or adhesive spot areas 32 (see FIG. 1 for location) may serve to keep this end of the carton closed when applied to the member 26.

The opposite end of the carton, while illustrated with a flap and adhesive strip arrangement similar to that described is preferably closed in the conventional manner, that is, flaps 14, 14 of the bottom tray are folded first, then end wall 8, while the flaps 36, 36 of the top tray also are folded first, lfollowed by folding of the end wall 28. Too, the flaps 14, 14', and end wall 8 are adhered as by stapling, gluing, etc., to one another, while flaps 36, 36' and end wall 28 are also permanently adhered to one another. Again scaling tape or high shear strength low tensile strength adhesive may effect connection of the top tray to the bottom tray by extending the tape or adhesive around the two side walls and opposite end 8.

The cartons as described and filled with wrappers may then be shipped to a user, such as a distributor. If it iS necessary to relabel the wrappers inside the carton, the user opens the end shown in FIG. 3, by merely breaking tapes 30 and pulling open end wall 26, then flaps 34, 34', and 12, 12 of each tray, and finally the bottom tray and wall 6. The ends of the wrappers surrounding the paper sheets are thus easily accessible for the placement of labels thereon without the necessity of completely opening the carton or removing these flats from the interior of the bottom tray to gain access to the ends of the wrappers.

The labelling complete, the end of the carton is reclosed. In so doing, however, reference being made to FIG. 4, a different sequence of folding steps is followed. Again referring to the numbered arrows, it will be seen that the end flaps 12, 12' are first folded inwardly against the contents of the carton as indicated by arrows 1 and 2. Then (arrows 3 and 4) the end flaps of the cover tray, namely flaps 34, 34 are folded into abutting relation with flaps 12, 12 previously folded. Subsequently the end wall 6 of the bottom tray is folded upwardly to abut against and overlie the folded flaps 34, 34. As a final step, the end wall panel 26 is folded (see arrow 5) down over end wall 6 of the bottom tray, bringing the adhesive areas 16 and 36 into adherent engagement whereby effective sealing of the carton is accomplished. Adherent engagement is achieved `by applying pressure, as by a hammer blow, to the indicia X.

Now, when the carton reaches the consumer, it is readily opened by cutting the sealing tape or breaking the adhesive on two sides and at the opposite conventionally closed end with the result that the adhered end walls 26 and 6 serve as hinge members enabling the top cover tray to be pivoted away from the bottom tray for permitting access to the interior of the carton.

It will be apparent that while self adherent areas can be varied and comprised of localized areas such as adhesive spots or the like, similar to the spot areas 32 of FIGS. l-4. In other words the self-adherent adhesive may be applied in various modicums so long as the total adhesive area is sufficient to assure tight closure when the self-adherent areas are brought into Contact.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a slightly modified arrangement is shown wherein a tear strip incorporated in the end wall 26 facilitates tight initial closure of the package plus easy opening and reclosure. In this modification the band or dots of self-adherent adhesive 36 is present as usual between score line 25 and the edge of end wall 26. A second band or localized adhesive areas 44 and 46 is provided at the corners of the end wall 26 as shown. In addition, where a self-adherent adhesive is used, the side wall aps 34, 34 are provided with adhesive coated areas 46, 48. These latter adhesive coated areas will register with areas 44, 46 on the end wall, so that when the end of the container is closed, per FIG. 2, the panel 36 will be adhered to the flaps 34, 34. Further sealing may be effected by tape disposed along the edge of the panel 10 of the bottom tray and overlying the lower edge of the end wall 26 of the top tray.

If the carton is opened, the tear-strip 40, which is above the adhered areas, is pulled and the remainder of end wall 26 including the band of adhesive 36 may pivot about score line 25 to permit access to the contents. On reclosure, the small adhered areas of flaps 34, 34 and end wall 26 are broken; the flaps 34, 34 folded according to FIG. 4 with the remainder of the end wall 26, then adhered to the end wal 6 of the bottom tray when the continer is closed. Thus, end walls 26 and 6 again form a hinged connection when the carton is opened for use by severing the connections between the remaining three sides thereof, as previously described.

Having thus described the invention it should be noted that while reference is made to the end wall in the disclosure, it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to a structure wherein the side walls are arranged to provide the reclosable feature. In this case flaps 12, 12', 14, 14 and 34, 34' and 36, 36 would be integral with the side walls 2, 4, and 22, 24 and unconnected to end walls 26, 28 and 6, 8, rather than as shown. Also, the closing sequence with respect to end walls 26 and 6 could be reversed so long as the liaps 12, 12' and 34, 34' are properly folded.

Having thus described our invention in detail, it will become apparent that various other changes and modications will occur to those skilled in the art, such modications and charges falling Within the spirit and scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A reclosable carton comprised of a pair of cooperating tray members one of which is inverted and telescoped over the other member to form said carton, comprising three sides formed by wall defining members of each tray member in telescoped sealed relation with respect to each other, and a fourth side defining a readily openable wall assembly, said wall assembly comprising a first member carried by one of said trays folded into a closure defining position, pairs of ap members carried by at least two of said first-mentioned wall dening members in juxtapositioned non-adherent relation and folded against said first closure defining member a further c10- sure defining member carried by the other of said tray defining members folded over said flap members in nonadherent contact therewith, each of said closure defining members including adhesive areas which are self-adherent when in registry and contact with one another, but which are spaced apart by said flaps.

2. A carton as dened in claim 1 including further means to fix said last-mentioned closure defining member in adhered relation with respect to said flaps and said first closure defining member.

3. A carton as dened in claim 2 wherein said further means comprises tape adhered to said second closure defining member and to the tray member carrying said first closure defining member.

4. A carton as defined in claim 2, wherein said further means comprises at least one adhesive area on said second closure defining member, said area being separate 6 and apart from the area thereon which is coated with said self-adherent adhesive.

5. A reclosable carton including a pair of opened topped tray members in telescoped relation with one member being inverted over the other member, including an end closure comprised of iiap and end closure defining members carried by each tray, the aps and closure defining members being folded into superimposed relation with respect to one another with at least one 0f each of said closure defining members in surface-to-surface non-adherent contact between the remaining closure members.

6. A carton as defined in claim 2 wherein a tear strip is interposed in one of said closure members between said self-adherent adhesive area and said means for fixing said last mentioned closure defining member, said last mentioned member being disposed outermost at the reclosable end of the carton.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,136 11/1933 Lindgren 229-32 2,316,457 4/1943 Royce 29- 32 XR 2,744,676 5 1956 Sealy 229-44 2,955,000 10/1960 Vohden 229-44 XR 3,327,923 6/ 1967 Baughan. 3,367,487 2/1968 Dwyer. 3,436,893 4/ 1969 Vokes et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 750,239 5/1933 France.

829,255 1/ 1952 Germany. 1,417,885 10/1965 France.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner Us. C1. X.R. 229-45, 5i 

